Melissa Axel: Reviews

Don’t Miss These Events! Our Picks for Jan. 3rd – Jan. 10th
Unusual Date Night Option of the Week: Redheads & Rabbits
Sunday, Jan. 6th, 7:30pm, Avogadro’s Number – 605 S. Mason St., Fort Collins, CO
Why go? Because you and your beloved find redheads sexy, and the mere thought of rabbits leads you to envision behaving like, well, bunnies, if you’re smellin’ what we’re cookin’. With these titillating thoughts to lead the way, you’re both sure to love titian-haired musicians Melissa Axel and Jenn Grinels, performing along with SoundRabbit at Avo’s. Expect pensive piano and feisty singer-with-guitar from the redheads, and expect something a little different from SoundRabbit, a band who allows its fans to become, well, shareholders, of sorts. I’m sure they’ll tell you all about it; we just wanted you to explore something unusual on your unusual date night.

Really beautiful, love the experimental stuff going on throughout with the vocals and other instruments, love the instrumental of the first track ["Out Of Nowhere"] at the end. I really like the epic feel of it, and how [Axel goes] into spoken parts. Also, great beats/grooves and piano hooks throughout, "Out Of Nowhere" (first track) is a gorgeous song. Also really like track 3 "The Worth Of Things" - awesome jazzy melodies, love that chromatic thing sung on that track. I totally hear a Zero 7/Sia influence throughout the CD, definitely a good thing!

Eloquently put, extremely well recorded, remarkable craft
Free Time struck me as being most like 2 EPs onto a single disc. The contents of this CD could easily be 2 versions of a limited release single that some bands seem to be into. Aside from that, Melissa's music is very beautiful, very well written. Specifically, the arrangements are appropriate and well timed and layered, however not predictable or clichéd. Her influences are detectable but not overt. It is obvious from listening to this CD that the recording and writing were very much in Melissa's hands, the recording is really quite remarkable: the mix is well toned, even, neutral, and appropriately produced, but all of the instrumentation is captured to a remarkably true degree, unlike a great number of other recordings who rely on production and studio manipulation to make their sound. I greatly look forward to an album from Melissa Axel, and if it is written and arranged/produced anything like Free Time, I think we will hear work from this artist well into the future. If the songcraft and recording craft is anything like what went into [this EP], we are all in for a treat.

Poignant songs with some deep and relevant social commentary...
like in the songs "The Worth Of Things" and "Disappointment." Also there is a nice mix of instrumental songs available.

Melissa Axel's music is lovely and has a lot of substance.
Melissa Axel has a sweet voice and an eclectic approach to songwriting. This ep has four vocal tracks that are all strong and six instrumentals. I prefer the tracks with words, but that's more a personal preference than any real criticism. Those songs are still intriguingly made. This is a wonderful record. Recommended.

Melissa eschews meandering diary-pop for well structured compositions
Axel's contemplative piano songs and instrumentals show the influence of jazz (via Joni Mitchell) and New Age electronics – and thankfully little of the Tori Amos effect... Although not earth-shattering, Free Time is a solid debut and I look forward to hearing Axel develop her craft.

Great vocal songs, instrumentals, remarkable voice
[On Melissa Axel's CD Free Time,] you can find great vocal songs "Out of Nowhere," "Disappointment," "I Am," and "The Worth of Things." Also, on the instrumentals such as "Disappointment," "Aquarium," and "The Worth Of Things"... in each and every one of them you will find a deep story of life, full of joy, sadness, disappointment, love... Her creativity as a songwriter is so phenomenal, that even if you would expect something sad, it will come out opposite. It will definitely have an enormous effect on you, your life, and your thoughts. The depth of her voice gives her lyrics emotional strength. She builds images that you can see and relate to. The piano notes make them even more colorful.

Melissa Axel has a pretty voice and plays piano quite well.
The first five songs are vocals and piano, with some extras thrown in as well. The rest of the CD is some funky instrumental stuff that is part techno, part orchestra. It's nice background music. "Clavé Moon" and "Aurora" have some especially funky sounds. "Clavé Moon" in particular sounds like it ought to be used as a film score. "The Worth Of Things" is a really cool piece, probably the best one on the recording, in my opinion.

On December 12, 2006, I sat on a panel for the Music Independence Summit Conference on its first visit to Denver, CO. With a great turnout, key discussions, and a fantastic performance by Boulder's funky group 8traC, it was truly an empowering night to remember. Check out the article James wrote for the local music magazine:

I'm one of four "career-changers" featured in the South Florida Business Journal story "Making the switch"! Here's a clip from my part (p. 2 if you follow the link):

Can't deny the artist inside
"I do have business sense, but I can't do the same thing every day and sit at the same desk every day. Artists need to create different things all the time." In 2000, [Axel] moved to Boston to enroll at the Berklee College of Music after a songwriting workshop there refueled her creative fire. She helped an independent record label for six months, but was laid off and spent nearly a year unemployed in South Florida. She then enrolled in Nova Southeastern University's interdisciplinary arts program as a graduate assistant on a full scholarship. Now graduated, she continues to help the program develop its curriculum and stage performances while she develops her music career. Axel traveled to Boulder, Colo., in August to play at a music festival.

"I had to follow my passion and go where my heart was," she said. "It was a tough decision, but I didn't have a choice really. We have to do what we're called to do."

The professional business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi featured me as one of four professionals for their "Don't You Wish You Had THAT Job?" story. Here's a clip:

Mixing Business with Music
...When asked how she got the "job" of being a singer/songwriter, music business consultant, event organizer and recording artist, she says, simply, "I created it."

Melissa's job has so many facets that it was hard for her to choose her favorite aspect. She says, "On one hand there is the sheer ecstasy of creating; the channeling of words and music to your hands, voice and paper. The recording process is also amazing, there's nothing like going from a thought...to a set of lyrics...to a song...to a full production. This process can be both excruciating and ethereal." Melissa is also passionate about helping to educate people about the way the music industry is changing, which she gets to do as a consultant.

Her crazy schedule leaves no time for a typical day at the office. Melissa's days are filled with various tasks such as talking to clients, working on promotional materials, mailing out CDs, preparing for performances, and whenever that inspiration strikes, grabbing a pen and paper and writing her next song. Her level head within this sometime chaotic industry has led her clients to nickname her the resident "VOR," or Voice of Reason...

The Christian Science Monitor's wonderful "Making Music" story about Berklee's student-run record label on the Arts & Leisure cover includes this quote:
"Regardless of how well the CD sells, the knowledge acquired is invaluable, says Melissa Axel, a codirector of Heavy Rotation. To succeed in the music business, it takes 'persistence, talent, dedication... It's also about relationships. The more you do for others, the more it comes back for you in your career.'"

Berklee Today's feature story (with pictures) will tell you more about Shekinah 13 Artists, the compilation CD that earned Berklee's Heavy Rotation Records and Epic/SONY the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston's Tops of the Avenue Award, which Co-Director Alex Sartakov and I presented in 2002. Check our project out on Apple.com Profiles in Success, too!

Here's a short video clip in which I was interviewed on TV (and acting silly) as Co-Director of Berklee's student-run record label, Heavy Rotation Records.

VH1 News (also aired on ABC) (Feb 6, 2002)

The September Rising compilation benefit CD, to which I contributed the instrumental version of my song, "The Worth Of Things" and vocals on fellow Berklee alum Hiroaki Honshuku's "The View," graced the cover of Home Recording Magazine. The article, "Home Studios Across America: Uniting For A Tribute CD," features my photo with a quote on page 32 of the March 2002 issue. The CD was also featured in Keyboard Magazine.

I was interviewed about MySpace for the leading South Florida newspaper and a few of the many words I had to say about its ups, downs, and latest entanglements were included in this article about artists using the site to promote and network.

I am so impressed by the diversity of individuals who came together to display lovely, multidisciplinary talents in relation to life's journey. Congratulations to you and your co-creators - what remarkable creativity and dedication!

winding down after the human adventure - HECK YES!
if you would have told me that somehow minimalist theatrics, digital video, break dancers, a salsa version of 'in your eyes' by peter gabriel, and my own special brand of electronic goodness would somehow join forces under the guidance of songstress melissa axel to storm the NSU campus, i would have said "whatchoo talkin 'bout mr. d?". but sure as sugar, those very elements managed to align in an outrageous one-off multimedia stage show last weekend. but hey, don't fret! if you missed the performance, you can at least score a copy of the limited edition soundtrack cd which features excerpts of the show's dialog interwoven with a host of tracks by melissa axel, mannyman, colour with sound, and yours truly.

very well executed and definitely ambitious show.
melissa axel's recent show featured music from CWS and r_garcia, as well as her own.

Your production was exceptional! We truly enjoyed it!

You painted some beautiful images. Your show was great! I went on preview night. I enjoyed it and was AWESTRUCK by the amount of work you and your team put into this performance.

I enjoyed the process of working on this show and all the people involved. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of it.

...entertaining, creative and thought provoking, truly inspiring. You are a Renaissance woman - great performer and actress. The production's technical aspects were also amazing, especially considering the location which is not easy to work with, congratulations to Yvette and Cassie on that difficult task.

The Human Adventure evokes creativity and and positive human energy that is deep in the core of us all. The way you tied all different types of creative mediums allowed everybody to form a sun to shine on all who witnessed the production. The people I brought to see the show were astounded and left the show altered in their being... I haven't gone to a play in a long time, The Human Adventure was a fresh way to start. Your perspective of our daily adventure of being human was very fresh and exciting. I loved it! P E A C E positive energy activates constant elevation

Well made, great subject; congratulations! I purchased the sound track CD and really enjoyed listening to it... Reserve me a copy of the DVD!

The performances were superb and inspirational. Wonderful work!!!!

Everyone in the cast and crew was absolutely amazing and best of all, amiable and funny. There was not one person I didn't find interesting. I seriously had one of the best times of my life this weekend... thank you, and congratulations.

I am incredibly grateful to have been a part of [The Human Adventure]. You are a very gifted writer and made it easy for me as an actress because it was all right there on the paper. I would be honored to work with you creatively sometime in the future again.

My mother enjoyed the show so much that she came on both nights. She said it made her think about a lot of things. My parents and brother came to see the production. I just wanted to thank you for allowing me to participate in such a wonderful experience. I would love to be involved in any future events or productions. You are a talented and wonderful young lady. I wish you all the best on your new journey as you continue to "follow your bliss"!

To call it a play is a misnomer, actually, because it was much more like an avant garde performance piece than a straight-forward dramatization of events... One thing's for sure, a budding artist getting such a varied reaction to an event like that is well on her way to shaking things up.

...a wonderful performance and several people that I have talked to that saw it were equally impressed. I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you not only to you, Cassie, and Yvette, but to everyone involved with The Human Adventure.

An absolute success! I cannot tell you how much I appreciated your work and was so immensely impressed with the amount of effort and time that was spent in creating the project. Congratulations once again... thank you for sharing your heart with others...I commend your work.

Without a doubt, one of the best things I have done while at Nova
I want to thank you again for giving me the opportunity to work with you and all of the other amazing people involved in the production. I have made so many friendships that I am sure will last a lifetime, and that could not have been possible without your intervention!

Congratulations on a great production. It touched everyone who participated in it from the tears that were flowing. I was going through the door at the same time as the videographer and he said he was in tears at the end - big up!

I can't tell you how my heart filled with excitement and awe as I sat there and watched your play unfold tonight! Your Human Adventure fills me with joy and confirmation that the world IS ready for the Heart and Soul.